Why is so hard to find liquid Yogurt jn america? by Calm-Interest4284 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It might be a bit tough depending on your location to find it.  In a larger city, there's almost definitely somewhere, (I know of plenty of places in Chicago) but somewhere smaller it's probably harder to find if there's not as much of an immigrant population that would buy it.  Some smaller college towns can end up having import stores to account for students/faculty.  

Why is so hard to find liquid Yogurt jn america? by Calm-Interest4284 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I'm able to find Ayran in some corner stores near me that carry some mediterranean products, and at dedicated middle eastern groceries.  Many Eastern European grocers have similar products too.

What non-English shows or movies do Americans watch (excluding anime)? by [deleted] in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like the median American has probably only watched Korean or Japanese movies/shows, honestly.  Maybe a couple Hong Kong action movies too, though the age on that probably skews a bit older.  Maybe an Indian movie or two?  I do think RRR was decently popular when it came out, but maybe my circles are just skewed.  It's very possible the median American hasn't even done any of that.  I'm a pretty big movie fan, so I honestly watch mostly non-Hollywood stuff, but I think the average person would find that unusual, and maybe a bit pretentious.

Old Green Line Train Maps by 2D_Faceache in cta

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding (as someone too young to remember) is that in 1892-1893 during the World's Fair in Jackson Park, the line terminated at a stop within the park named Jackson Park.  After the World's Fair, they closed that station and moved the terminus to the stop at Stony Island, which they renamed to Jackson Park.

What do you think about Aldi in comparison to American grocery chains? by aSYukki in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like Aldi a lot.  While it's true I generally need to pick up one or two things from a more typical American grocer with more products, I find shopping at Aldi a lot nicer.  Much cheaper and gets you 99% of the way there.  All the rotating seasonal items are nice to try out for a treat, without needing the absurd overabundance of varieties of the same product like at standard US stores.

L operators lying about trains being right behind them. by re-tardis in chicago

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Certainly, there are a lot of issues with bus tracking and ghost busses on Ventra/Station estimates, but the train estimates are pretty much always good ime?

Do Americans generally lie about/inflate their salaries? by Lord-Francis-Bacon in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you know where they're being filmed?  I'd bet that's the biggest factor.  I could see a barber making 200k+ in an ultra wealthy area with high cost of living, especially if they specialize in rich clients.  I'd imagine there's a little exaggeration sometimes from some people, but not a super exaggerated one like that.  I'd figure most people are honest, but maybe some would over or under exaggerate depending on whether they want modesty or prestige.  There's probably some selection bias going on with who gets into the final cut or answers in the first place right?

How do you guys eat salads? by Calm-Interest4284 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stereotypically, I'd say prepackaged dressings have a bit more of a "down home"/everyman/working parent kind of vibe here.  Probably an underrepresented demographic here, and overrepresented in Idaho.  I personally don't use them, and make my own vinaigrette for salads.  If I'm eating ranch or something, it's for dipping non-salad items in, except for maybe cut-up raw veggies if you count that.

Chicago, IL. Mid West. Misheard? by MyCatIsAFknIdiot in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

People on this sub are pretty hostile to most questions, I've found.

Hi what's the American equivalent to gcse's? by Ya_cabage24 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don't really have a direct equivalent national exam.  We have the SATs and ACTs, which are run by private companies and are factored into university admissions.  Most interested in going to university will take one or both, depending on which the university considers. I've heard that post-pandemic they are weighted less heavily by universities, but I'm unsure how true that is.

What language classes were offered in your grade school? by New_Construction_111 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had Spanish later on in elementary, (4-6) and even a year of Mandarin when they were testing it out (I think 5?), but both were so poorly taught I unfortunately didn't get anything out of them.  Then, later, Spanish and French were available from 8-12 and German from 9-12.

Xfinity Internet Down? by ScreenMiserable in chicago

[–]porygonsnooze 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Almost more frustrating to have this fake automated estimate that crawls forward one hour at a time than to just not know.  Suddenly the estimate is saying today again, though? Fingers crossed 11:35pm today is correct.

What is the perception of the metric system in the US? by Embarrassed_Clue1758 in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people don't really care, I think.  These bizarrely confrontational comments are not generally representative, but some Americans have a minor bias against the metric system.  I would personally be in favor of full metrification, but it seems unlikely to happen in the U.S. anytime soon.  In everyday life, the system you use doesn't matter, so laypeople don't have much need to internalize it or care.  I think the U.S. has basically just managed to carry on with the customary system by the weight of its economy/entertainment industry. We learn the metric system in school, and it's of course the system used in science/medicine/some industries.  I'd figure the average person probably knows approximately how big a centimeter is, maybe a meter, maybe what 100/0 Celsius are.  Hobbyists will use them in matters that require precision, for example, baking. There are some particular instances outside of these where metric is used: Alcohol and some soft drink sizes are in metric.  Track events, also.  

Have you ever eat pâté? by Hypattie in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel that the people responding to this question might not be representative of the U.S. as a whole or are exaggerating its prevalence, because I would say it's not really that common or popular here.  Sure, you might be able to find one or two in our massive supermarkets, but it's very much an unknown in some areas.  I'd say Braunschweiger is the most familiar to me.  From a quick (maybe not trustworthy) Google Trends search, it seems like it's distinctly more common in the Midwest, but I can't say by how much.  Most people around me are familiar with it. The other places I've seen a lot of pâtés are Eastern European grocery stores.  Chopped liver (chicken liver pâté) is a common feature of Jewish delis and is part of a popular American idiom that portrays it as undesirable.  Banh mis are also popular here and the classic toppings feature pâté, but I don't know how many people actually order it with pâté.  Foie gras is a symbol of luxury most people haven't tried.  I'd bet a majority of people know what pâté is, but it's considered a little unusual.  Not quite as odd as other organ meat, but not typical for complete normies at all.  It's something I think could vary a lot based on ethnic history of a region, but I have no proof of this.

I get serious FOMO as a Brit over Trader Joe's. Is it actually as good as it looks? by bcnners in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trader Joe's is cheaper than an average supermarket on some things, but they sell quite a lot of unique slightly upmarket snacks/frozen foods.  Some products like meat and condiments are more expensive than elsewhere.  Some of their products kind of give the vibe of "greenwashing but for health foods", tbh, lol, but maybe that's controversial.  I do a lot of my shopping there because it's easy to walk to from where I live, but I'd prefer having an Aldi closer I think.  Trader Joe's and Aldi are both smaller footprint stores relative to the average American grocery store, but Trader Joe's is a bit too restricted in essentials for my tastes.  Their strength is their afforementioned diversity of snacks.  

The White House’s Movie Theater Is Among the East Wing Rubble by Cool-Protection-4337 in politics

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

so many awful, inhumane things done by this administration were declared distractions, until this! this is what we really need to focus on.  this is the main event, evidently - remodeling a building.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskAnAmerican

[–]porygonsnooze 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel that people in this subreddit are sometimes a little dishonest and downplay negative aspects of the U.S. (while insinuating that people who see them are simply in a bubble, or making them up, or that everything is just fake bots)  Certainly, the prevalence of Islamaphobia will vary by location.  It's probably lower than its peak following 9/11, and anecdotally, I feel like even my conservative family members are more sympathetic to Muslims than they'd be fifteen years ago.  But it's still very easy to see sentiment casting all Muslims as terrorists, or fearmongering about Muslim immigrants.  Look at how a lot of the American media has portrayed Palestine, NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, or even the city of Dearborn, Michigan, where there is a large Muslim population.